The Austin Firefighters Association voted 93% in favor of a no-confidence resolution against Fire Chief Joel Baker on Friday, citing failures in response to Texas's deadly Independence Day flooding. The vote followed criticism over Baker's refusal to deploy swift water rescue teams ahead of the disaster, despite requests from Texas Task Force 1.
The Austin Firefighters Association plans to hold a vote of no confidence in Fire Chief Joel G. Baker following his failure to deploy emergency teams to Kerr County ahead of the deadly July 4 floods. The decision follows growing outrage that Baker did not respond to the state's request to send Austin's specialized units, reportedly due to an $800,000 reimbursement delay from past state deployments.
Brian Johnson, the controversial fitness influencer known as the “Liver King,” was arrested on Tuesday, June 25, in Austin, Texas, after allegedly posting a series of threatening messages directed at podcast host Joe Rogan. Austin Police confirmed Johnson’s arrest and charged him with making a terroristic threat.
Veteran-owned construction software firm BuildOps has selected Raleigh, North Carolina, for its latest expansion hub, turning down Austin in favor of $2.8 million in incentives. The company plans to hire 291 employees over five years, offering average salaries of $110,000—well above Wake County’s current average of $76,643.
Austin Police discovered incendiary devices at a local Tesla dealership on Monday morning, marking the latest in a series of violent attacks targeting Tesla properties, charging stations, and vehicles. Some incidents have involved arson, raising concerns over coordinated efforts against the Elon Musk-owned company.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and 11 Republican senators are calling for accountability after a Department of Defense (DoD) inspector general (IG) report revealed that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin failed to notify the White House and Congress of multiple hospitalizations. The report concluded Austin violated the Federal Vacancies Reform Act (FVRA) and left critical defense responsibilities unaddressed during his incapacitation.
Edwin Castro, the historic $2.04 billion Powerball winner, has reportedly lost one of his multimillion-dollar homes in the recent Los Angeles-area wildfires.
During a contentious Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) faced criticism for her questioning of Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth. Duckworth repeatedly pressed Hegseth with demands for a "yes or no" answer regarding his experience leading audits, a line of questioning some found overly aggressive.
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to assume office with intentions to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Biden administration officials caution against actions that could strengthen Russian President Vladimir Putin.
